Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-20
DAILY HERALD.
A LIVING MAsToDON.
Indians who Aver That ''
Have Seen Ii.

learned tDat tnt cAioso,
mastodons near the head-waters OF
White River was not the mere iaDrica-
t;ons Of the northern furriers, but that
the STICK Indians had positively told
him that not later than five years ago
snch nm animal had been seen by
them. One of the Indians said that
while hunting one day In that un-
known section he came across an I'M
mense track, sunk to depth OF sew
eral inches in the moss, and from the
as the Indian marked II
out to him in the sand, it much re-
an elephants track, and was
larger around than barrel. Upon
it the Indian followed up the
curious trail, which, to all appear
apces, was very fresh, and tracking
from one immense stride to the other
for distance of some miles, he came
in full view of his game. And what
game. The hunter gave one LOOK,
then turned and fled as though
by the evil one. These
Indians, as a class, are the bravest OF
hunters. and with no other weapon
than the spear will attack and siay
the St. Elias grizzly. But the i'm.
mense proportions of this new KIND OF
game both startled and filled the
hunter, brave as he was, with great
fear, and he imagined his only safety
Law in swift and immediate flight.
He described it as being larger than
Harper's (the post trader's) store,
with great shining, yellowish tusks,
and mouth large enough to swallow
him at a single gulp. He said the
animal was undoubtedly the same as
we're the huge bones scattered over
that section. If such an animal is
now in existence, and Mr.. summers
has no reason to doubt the veracity OF
the Indian, as other Indians, and also
Mr.. Harper, had confirmed it, they
inhabit a section of very high altitude,
and one but rarely visited by human
beings, and these only Indians. We
also have no reason to doubt the In
dams tale, for at no very recent
period the Yukon country was inhab-
tied by these Indians, and hundreds
of their massive skeletons found
strewn along the creeks are the silent
but truthful witnesses. On Forty
Mile Greek bones can be found pro-
iecting partly from the sands and
among the driftwood along the stream.
On creek below this these skeletons
are quite numerous, One ivory tusk
projects nine feet out of sand bank,
and is larger around than a mans
body. A single tooth would be a
good load for a strong man to carry.
This certainly would be great field
for the scientist, for, to all appearance,
it is rich in natures curiosities.
Among the fur animals may be
mentioned the bear, the beaver, otter,
mink, marten, black, silver-gray and
other animals of less note. Among
the food animals are the reindeer,
which are the most abundant, and
run in herds from dozen up to five
hundred. Then the moose, carriboul
sheep, squirrels, grouse and quails.
The musk OK is also found. but rare,
and it is more than likely that a few
mastodons, or megatherium, yet
exist. Salmon and other food fishes
are abundant in the streams.
Near the headwaters of White
River is very large and active vol
cano that discharges almost continu.
ously great streams of fire, smoke and
lava. At night it can be seen by the
light of its discharges for miles. The
Indians rarely visit that neighbor-
hood, as they have a superstitious
fear Of it. 1t is known among them
as the Mountain of Bad Spirits" 1t
lies about 300 miles inland, and di-
rectly on the line of the long sub
terranean connection running through
California, Oregon, Washington,
British Columbia, Alaska and across
Behring Sea into Siberia. Aside from
this, there are other active volcanoes
of less note along this connection in
Alaska.
During the winter months the
aurora on the Yukon is very brilliant
and intensely beautiful. 1t commences
early in the fall, and lasts with more
or less brilliancy throughout the long
Arctic winter. 1t generally com.
mences upon the setting Of the sun,
though in midwinter it has at times
been so bright that it was visible al
noon, while the sun was shining
brightly. The rays of light first shoot
forth with quick, quivering motion,
are then gathered and form a great
arch of fire, spanning the Heavens
It glows for an instant like girdle Of
FURNISHED gold, then, unfolding,
great curtains of light drop forth.
These royal mantles Of bri yht orange,
green, pink, rose, yellow and crimson
are suspended and waved beneath
Heaven and earth as with an invisi-
BILE hand. The rapid gyrations and
scintillations OF light and blending
colors are intensely bewildering and
superbly beautiful. The whole phenom-
ena of waving wreaths, Pickering
fumes, rays, curtains, fringes, bands
and flashing colors; the strange con-
fusion of light and motion, now high
in the Heavens, then dropping like
curtains Of gold and silver lace,
sparkling with a wealth of rubies,
saphires, emeralds and diamonds,
penetrating dark gulches, and darting
through somber green forests, light
ing the whole landscape as with a
thousand electric lamps, forms a pic
ture of which words can convey but q
very poor idea. This unwarming
light, as it flashes along the frozen
rivers, the great banks OF snow, and
reveals the huge mountains of glis-
tening ice and the black lines of fir,
indeed is of the purest Arctic cast,
and causes one to button bis coat
closer over his chest, and with
shiver he is glad to seek a light of far
less brilliancy, but one of life-giving
warmth.
At the breaking up of winter the
hours of sunshine are rapidly
increasing, and continue so until
midsummer, when the sun beams
forth twenty-five hours out Of twenty
four, while on the high mountain
peaks it is for period OF several days
in June not entirely out of sigh,
during the twenty-four hours. During
the months of July and August the
weather becomes very warm, ant